OAR 413-120-0246: Standards for an Adoptive Home and Release of an Adoption Home Study

(1) Except to the extent provided otherwise in section (2) of this rule, to be approved as a potential adoptive resource for a child in the legal custody of the Department, an individual must complete all of the following: (a) An adoption home study recommending the applicant or relative applicant as a potential adoptive resource written, amended, or updated within the 12 months prior to the adoption placement selection, completed by: (A) The Department for an applicant or relative applicant under OAR 413-120-0220, OAR 413-200-0274 and 413-200-0301 to 413-200-0396 or OAR 413-203-0220 and 413-203-0025; (B) An Oregon licensed private agency for an Oregon resident when the home study is prepared by a private agency for an Oregon resident under OAR 413-215-0401 to 413-215-0481; (C) An out-of-state agency under OAR 413-040-0200 to 413-040-0330; or (D) An agency in another country under OAR 413-120-0900 to 413-120-0970. (b) Meet the Department’s standards for adoptive homes by demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and ability to meet, without agency oversight, the current and lifelong needs of the child for all of the following: (A) Physical and emotional safety, attachment and well-being; (B) Developing and maintaining safe, long-term connections and contact with the child's family, siblings, relatives and caregivers known to the child or ward and others with whom the child or ward has developed an emotional attachment; (C) Continuity and familiarity; (D) Appropriate social, educational, developmental, emotional, and physical support; (E) Integration into the family; (F) Stability and permanency; and (G) Maintaining their identity, cultural, religious, and spiritual heritage. For cases involving an Indian child in which a Cultural Continuity Agreement (CCA) has been ordered or developed consistent with ORS 419B.365, ORS 419B.366, ORS 419B.521, or ORS 419B.529 and OAR 413-115-0100, actively support the terms of that agreement to ensure the child’s ongoing connection to the Indian child’s Tribe, Tribal community, and extended family. (c) A completed criminal records check and approval by the Department pursuant to OAR 413-208-0000 to 413-208-0035 or pursuant to OAR 407-007-0200 to 407-007-0370 when the home study is prepared by a private agency for an Oregon resident. (d) Provide evidence of successful completion of a training program approved by the Department, unless the Child Permanency Program Manager has approved an alternate training program. (2) In the case of an individual or individuals residing in a state that does not complete an adoption home study prior to a child being placed with the individual or individuals or prior to the child being legally free for adoption: (a) The Child Permanency Program may approve a foster home study or a relative study as an adoption home study for the purpose of adoption placement selection only as long as all other requirements of subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c) of this rule are met. (b) An approved adoption home study must be completed prior to designation of the child’s placement for the purpose of adoption. (3) Release of an adoption home study. An adoption home study is considered confidential information and, when released under this rule must have a signed, valid release of information from each applicant or relative applicant who is a subject of the adoption home study. (a) The Department may release a copy of the adoption home study to: (A) An adoption applicant who is a subject of the adoption home study; (B) Individuals involved in the adoption placement selection process, under OAR 413-120-0021 and 413-120-0035; (C) The court for the purposes of finalizing an adoption; and (D) A public agency upon the written request of an applicant who is a subject of the adoption home study. (b) A Child Welfare Program Manager must approve the release of an adoption home study requested for a purpose other than those listed in subsection (a) of this rule. (c) An individual receiving a copy of an adoption home study must keep the information contained therein confidential. (d) Before releasing an adoption home study, the Department must redact or summarize information, when necessary, to prevent the identification of individuals, other than the applicants, who provided information for the adoption home study. (e) When an agency or entity other than the Department completes the adoption home study, the Department must receive approval from the agency or entity that completed the adoption home study before release.